


Vengeance

by KookyFixer



Category: Ghost - Mystery Skulls (Music Video), League of Legends, Mystery Skulls (Band)
Genre: An idea that came to mind, F/M, Gen, Let me know in the comments, Multi, Relationships undecided - Freeform, Violence warning applies to future chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-23 22:47:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4895260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KookyFixer/pseuds/KookyFixer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set before the events of Ghost.</p><p>Attempting to put their lives back together after tragedy, the Mystery Skulls take up their first case of murder. A malicious mist strikes a town, accompanied by loss and death. Guided by enthusiasm and their experience in the paranormal, they race to find the truth behind the supposed Spirit of Vengeance...<br/>before it makes another claim.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Peaceful Rest

“Run as you will,  
You cannot escape,  
The darkness pursues,  
Embrace now your fate;  
The cost of your cowardice, you cannot afford,  
Hide from the shadows or fall on your sword.” –Blood Moon, Falconshield

 

For the fifth night in a row, his sleep had been completely sound.  
That would be completely normal for most people, a wonderful thing for people with insomnia even. 

 

Arthur wasn’t most people, however. For the past few months, his dreams had been riddled with nightmares and restless sleep. To suddenly have days go by with absolutely… nothing? Not a single peep from his mind, just dead sleep. Especially after the ‘incident’–

 

It was unsettling, needless to say. He wasn’t entirely sure if he should be grateful or worried. Thankfully, nothing terrible had occurred in the past few days since it started. The cars came and went as usual, Vivi and Mystery visited as usual. In fact, she seemed happier to see that the rest had done him some good. If she was happy, that was always a plus.  
Until…

“I think we’ve got ourselves a new case, Artie!” The bubbly blunette chirped at him as she slid up next to his workbench, practically shoving the newspaper into his hands and grinning like a cat who just caught a mouse.  
The details therein was the worst part.

 

A local city terrorized by death and a freak onset of green mist. Upon reflex, his throat seemed to close up as the paper started to rattle in his hands. Green mist?! Vivi did not seem to mind at all, however, babbling and explaining the strange occurrences… and apparent murder.

 

“Wait– murder?! Whoa, Vivi, are you sure this is the kind of case we want to get involved with? Are we even prepared?” Arthur’s voice shot up a few octaves for a brief moment, cracking. To the left of him, a paw rest itself on his lap. Mystery was looking up at him with those big eyes, worried.

“That’s the thing though, Arthur, nobody really knows what happened. They called it murder since that’s what it seemed like. It was like the guy was impaled right through the chest with a spear!” As she continued to try to explain, it only made him cringe harder. “And yet there was no weapon, no blood, no enter or exit wound. Some people are saying a ghost must have done it. We’ve got to check this out! Who knows, we might actually prevent another victim from happening. This could be it! The case that makes the Mystery Skulls famous!”

 

Or we could end up as the next tragedy, the mechanic thought bitterly. Yet from the look in her eyes, he knew she wasn’t going to give up on this one easily, dangerous as it was. Familiar as the green mist sounded. He hoped it was some… other… evil spirit. Dread coursed through him just thinking about it! Oh boy, another evil spirit. Just what they needed.

In the end, her smile and joy was infectious. The excitement really couldn’t be denied. As he packed, even Mystery had started to cheer up. The way those pitiful eyes tended to look at him sometimes, it was almost painful. Part of him wished he would just talk, so they could figure things out between them.  
But no. Just the dog-deception.

“Are you ready yet!?” The girl was practically shouting her lungs out from across the shop, which resulted in a wrench thrown in her direction. Deftly dodged, of course. Lance wasn’t terribly keen on how loud she could get. As usual, they were lectured on safety, and Arthur especially was to contact him regularly. Most days, the young mechanic would just roll his eyes and brush it off playfully. This time was different, and they wouldn’t dare tell him the case they were pursuing.

 

After bidding farewell one more time to Galaham and checking the van once more for any technical difficulties, they were prepared to go. In the time it took to get everything ready, Vivi had already drawn up the plans to actually make the trip, as it was quite a few miles over. He was grateful that it was in the same state, making it the slightest bit less stressful.

Lady Luck was just not there for him today, however.

Not even five miles away from their destination and there was a sudden change of atmosphere. The sun was nearing its set and yet the skies darkened far more quickly than it should be. For a moment, Arthur thought his perception of time was skewed by the fact that Vivi was no longer awake to talk with him.  
No, it had actually gone dark! And the fog… wait.

 

“That’s… mist…,” his throat clenched in surprise, “Mist! It’s…” Blinking a few moments, to focus, he eased up on the speed as his line of vision started to dwindle. It was not the same sickly green as the cave from his memories, but it still had a supernatural hue that sent shivers crawling down his spine. 

Whatever this… event was, this was definitely way too big for the three of them alone. If it was stretching this far out, what must it be like in the city itself? Still, he drove onward with the flood lights on and hoping not to get into an accident on the way there. Even if the roads had been eerily empty for the past half an hour…

 

Empty…

 

-“Traitor.”-

 

A piercing crackling noise burst in his ear drums and suddenly the young man was AWAKE. His breath sucked in sharply, sitting up and colliding body-first into the girl hovering above him. It was just… Vivi. Wait, had he been asleep? He was on the ground now.

His head ached with a growing dizziness, the last moments before his loss of consciousness flooding back to him. The mist had somehow come inside their van and he slipped away so easily. Beyond the horror of what could have happened, his voice shook with relief that nobody seemed to be injured. Mystery was soundly planted next to them both, and none looked worse for wear.

“Are… we in town? Did you stop the van? It didn’t crash, did it? I don’t know what happened! The mist–” The words flooded out of him with little restraint, a soft stutter creeping in. Her finger whipped to his mouth, shushing him quickly. Her soft whispers followed up.

“Yes, we’re in town. I managed to pull you out of the driver’s seat and hit the emergency brakes. Nobody was on the road… And everything here feels wrong. Even the people. That’s why we have to stay quiet. I think this is a bit more than we expected…” 

 

Swallowing back the urge to say 'I told you so,’ Arthur merely nodded. With her help, he stood and started to assess their surroundings. The streets to their left sounded somewhat populated, and the van was behind them. It looked like they were in some kind of alleyway, just wide enough for dumpster trucks from the looks of it. Fresh rain puddles littered the ground, Mystery taking care to not get his paws into any of them during their walk. 

“I’ve got the address for the contact I made in town, just a few blocks down. We’ve just gotta act casual on our way there. And that means…” Putting the dog on a leash. His ears flattened, knowing he had to comply.

“You found a contact so quickly? I thought this was a clipping you found, not something Mystery Skulls official yet.” His eyebrows were now raised in suspicion… and rightly so. She had started to laugh a bit nervously.

“Well, yes, it was just supposed to be initiative! Buuut… uhm, I may or may not have been contacted too… with the clippings involved. Apparently they knew the man who’d been murdered.”

 

He hissed in frustration, “That might have been good to know earlier, Vivi! You– ugh-… I guess you just wanted to surprise me or something.” Though the initial withholding of information stung, he backpedaled quickly. She had to have a good reason, and she was still practically buzzing with anticipation despite the concerning start to the case. Not that he was any better about lying or keeping secrets. The wince shot through him faster than he could hold it back, memories staining and flickering just beyond his eyes. Dammit.

Thankfully she had already turned away and walked ahead with Mystery. She must not have seen most of his reaction then. It was like dancing around eggshells, the avoidance of the 'subject.’ Or the 'incident’ more appropriately. They had done their best to move on, but in the smallest of moments it still came back to bite him in the ass. His teeth snapped together once, shutting tightly.

 

Arthur moved to catch up.

 

Oddly enough, nobody seemed to really pay them any mind. It was relieving and creepy at the same time. He hoped that it was just that they didn’t care, but considering each gust of wind that occasionally swept the mist behind their heels as they walked… He willed himself to walk faster. Hopefully their contact had some solid answers and wasn’t a total crackpot.

“Here we are!” Mystery settled on the porch steps, watching the two creep up towards the door. Vivi was quickly adjusting her glasses and making sure her scarf was straightened and their equipment was all there. They had to look professional after all. Even Arthur straightened up and adjusted his shirt.  
With a swift jab, she hit the door bell. The jingle that rang out sounded like a cross between 'Shave and a Hair Cut’ And 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’ The mechanic’s lips twitched, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Hey, Vivi,” he said, “I’m not sure if I’ve heard this chime before but it sure does ring a bell…” He really couldn’t help himself on that one, he started chuckling pretty hard. She let out a loud groan, rubbing her face and merely shaking her head. The clatter from inside the house brought them out of the moment, a soft 'Coming!’ resonating from far away.

 

The woman who answered the door was not something Arthur was quite expecting, considering their usual clientele. She was larger than life, high cheek bones and bronze skin like she’d just run through the sun for a few days. The reddish flush made it seem that way too, but it was likely it was just from running to answer the door. Her voice was just as exceedingly loud, matching the height and volume of the towering figure. 

“Oh!” she cried, noting the card that Vivi was flashing her, “Thank goodness you came so quickly. Please, come inside. I’ll get you settled in and we can talk. Your reputation for punctuality was correct, I’d say.” 

It earned a skeptical look from Arthur as they entered. Due to the 'incident’ they’d been missing off the paranormal scene for a while. It was interesting that they still had that kind of reputation still, considering how they’d dropped off the radar for so long. Still, she didn’t seem to notice. Her hand merely waved away, leading them to the plush living room that seemed to be crawling with fluffy pillows and throw blankets. It was a very cozy looking home.

“Of course, Mrs. Flores. The Mystery Skulls are always happy to help.” The crisp tone of professionalism colored Vivi’s voice, sitting very neatly on the gestured seat as she was fussed over.

“This is Arthur, and Mystery. They’re my partners. We’re here to do anything we can, of course, if you’d like to start at the beginning of the problem.” Her hands were now folded on her lap, watching Flores nod in understanding. She even gave the pooch a head pat and cooed affectionately over him, which earned a whine of approval. The large woman sat herself in the love seat in front of the couch, laying down photos from an album she procured on the way to the living room.

“This was him… my Fred. Oh, but he was a sweet one.” The man from the newspaper article was instantly recognizable. He vaguely reminded Arthur of his uncle, that burly 'wrestler’ type, though he was chrome-dome bald. She described in great detail how they met, and their relationship and eventual marriage. It was all rather sappy, really, but incredibly sweet. Her eyes shined with the kind of sadness that few understood. The three of them did.

“The gloom on this town… it wasn’t always this way. Ever since he died, it’s been lingering. Like it’s hunting down more victims, almost. They had the gall to drop the investigation, just because there was minimal evidence of foul play! I just know he was murdered. Not with the way they found him, the way he was gutted on the inside like stick-needles.” A soft sob escaped Mrs. Flores, and Vivi reached out to touch her arm comfortingly.

 

“We understand,” she assured, “We’ll figure this out. We promise. Though, we… may have to ask you some personal questions now about Fred. If that’s alright with you, of course. Take your time.” The slow nod was her answer, and Arthur found himself standing and walking away. The younger girl’s eyes flashed to his, and he waved the mechanical arm as if to brush her concern away.

He didn’t want listen this part. They spoke in hushed voices in the other room, Mystery at his heels. Outside it was now pitch black, except for the soft glow of sickly…

 

-“Traitor.”-

 

The single word shot through him like a hot knife, a woman’s voice. Not the voice he would have expected, but the shock of its loudness nearly took him off his feet. It was like the source was right next to him, yet he knew they had to be alone here. 

A pair of eyes watched from the shadows, and the rolling mist vanished from the streets as the shock faded. The window view where he had been looking seemed to return to normal at last.

Somehow he knew it wouldn’t be the last time he would hear that voice.


	2. Contact

"The moon turns crimson,  
the night is bleak  
We place our nightmares on the great tree;  
We suffer now, for just one night  
Our fears combusting at the sunrise!" 

In the end, they felt just as lost having information as compared to when they started. 

It was to be expected with the paranormal, so they didn't let their hopes down just yet. At least Vivi wasn't. She was already setting up equipment from the last known location that Mr. Flores was seen, just behind his workplace. For this case, they had decided to forgo any negotiations of payment until they had results. Vivi didn't feel right doing it in this kind of situation. Murder was tricky, and not something they'd touched on before in a case. However, they were allowed to stay in her home during the course of the investigation. That was a plus over spending money at a motel or sleeping in the van.

"I swear this thing takes longer to set up every time we use it," Arthur groused at the satellite device, "Do I need to open it and take a look?" There was a note of disappointment in his tone, considering he'd been the one to build it-- with guidance. It was supposed to track ectoplasmic readings, but he wondered if it really worked half the time. Spirits and demons weren't exactly an exact science, much to his own chagrin. 

Instead, she merely flashed him a smile and shook her head. "No, don't worry about it. It's great!" She said, setting down the wrench and tuning the remote. She had one of those looks again, the smug air of satisfaction when she knew something he didn't. He let out a soft snort in reply, tapping his foot. The distinct whirring of the device was loud, and buzzed quite a bit on the silence of the early morning. For a city that was supposed to be a tourist town, it sure was pretty empty. Even when they came into town. Then again, that could be evidenced to the fact that someone was just murdered and a ghastly mist was on supposedly rampaging through town.

Still, now came the boring part. Waiting... lots of waiting. This time there was a lot more risk involved, so Arthur can't let his guard down while the scanner ran. On the other hand, his friends didn't seem worried at all. She was already digging into her snacks with Mystery, which consisted of a bigger meal than what she had for dinner. It was comforting to see her so happy despite the grim outlook on the situation. Nothing could curb her enthusiasm for the paranormal.

Despite his best efforts, he still found himself drifting off. He needed to be alert, yet something seemed to tug at his senses and pull him closer towards closing his eyes.

 

Drifting.

 

"... ur..."

 

There was light shining in his eyes. Green. He mentally recoiled at the image. It turned into mist, the looming feeling of judgement starting to pool in the pit of his stomach. Watched. Hunted.

 

"...thur..."

 

Falling, Lewis was falling, and there's screaming in his ear that keeps getting louder and louder, but it wasn't in his dream, it was elsewhere--

 

"ARTHUR!"

 

Vivi was right in front of him, shaking him excitedly. Her eyes were wide and as soon as he blinked and acknowledged her she was already running towards the scanner... which was now blaring loudly. 

"It's going off! It's detecting a presence! Arthur, get over here!" Her voice was bursting with anticipation. The air had become far more dense since he had drifted off to his brief nap, seemingly because of the presence that set off the alarms. He closed the gap between them, leaning over the machine to try and extract the reading. It offered only a mess of numbers, nothing seeming to make sense. His eye twitched, mumbling and pulling the paper as it rolled out and tried to parse what it was picking up.

"Uh... forget the paper, Arthur... I think whatever it's picking up is coming to us, first!" She was quick to switch from excitement to alarm, because just down the street the fog started to become dense and visibly green. Shrill, haunting echoes like screams oozed off the mist as it inched its way towards them.

The reaction was instant-- he shrieked in surprise and grabbed the machine. Arthur made a bee-line towards the van, haphazardly shoving the object into the back of it.

"Just look at that, Arthur. I've never seen a manifestation on this level before...!" The curiosity returned just as quickly, of course. The book in her hands was open, taking notes and making observations. For some reason, the fog appeared to be hesitant. Its rapid approach stopped at the sight of Vivi stepping closer to watch it, as if uncertain.

"It doesn't seem to be doing much of anything right now," his voice cracked faintly, trying to smile, "I wonder if it's because it's not just one person?" Mr. Flores had been by himself that night, after all. Maybe it didn't approach unless they were alone? ...Vivi was giving him a look.

"Oh, no. Ooooh, no. No, no, no. I'm not gonna be your bait for this one!" His eyebrows shot up in alarm, pointing at her as the slight grin creeped up on her face. He knew that look absolutely anywhere-- there was no WAY! This thing had murdered someone.

"Oh, relax. I'm not actually going to be putting you into REAL harm's way, Arthur. What kind of friend do you think I am?" She put her hands on her hips and gave him one of those looks. She was right, though. "I'm going to be with Mystery, close by... it's only going to look like you're alone. Plus, you're really good at looking helpless!"

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Viv." He sighed at her, pinching the bridge of his nose. Vivi meant well. She really did. He hoped she knew what she was doing with this, though... one wrong move...  
Her eyes narrowed at him, then softened. "I'm not going to lose anyone else, okay? We're in this together."

The words struck him like hot iron. Sometimes it was hard to imagine that she had forgotten so much, but in that moment it seemed like nothing had been lost. Their exchanged glances shared the loss. The misery.

Breathing in, his resolve hardened. "I trust you, Vivi."

In theory, she was absolutely correct. As soon as she and Mystery were out of sight, Arthur started making rounds down the street sidewalk. The air was so thick it almost became difficult to breathe. Involuntarily shivering even though he wasn't cold, he continued in his patrol.

It was definitely dangerous. The voice echoing in the back of his mind attested to-- wait, what?

"-You've made a mistake, deceiver!-"

The woman's voice shattered what confidence he had, whipping around wildly. The mist that had once been a few blocks away had creeped up on him in seemingly split seconds, consuming him and obscuring the vision around him.

In the distance he swore he could hear someone calling his name, but terror had already seized his heart. 

He couldn't breathe. His chest was heaving, trying to catch his breath. The mist was like water, filling his lungs and slowing movement. The nausea grew in the pit of his stomach, the feeling of judgement, the guilt, the suffering guilt.

It KNOWS.

Before he could even turn heel to run, a pair of eyes flashed in his vision. Looming in its approach, forming a figure. A skeletal structure flickered through the green skin, the manifesting woman shining proud in the battered armor. Spears protruded from her back, as ghastly as she was. Arthur's rational mind worked into overdrive, speculating for a moment that it may be the reason why they never found the weapon. Was he going to end up skewered as well?

Desperation burned in his spirit.

And he began to run.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there, I am also the Kooky Fixer on tumblr! I am hoping that by posting it here, it'll make it easier to reference and add onto. More chapters soon. Still revising. Let me know what you think below. :) It's a crazy idea I kind of went with.


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